Planting Milo ?s

Fergienewbee

Well-known Member
I'm thinking of planting milo next year. I've spread it broadcast before but how do you plant it in rows? Do you use a planter or a drill? What row spacing and spacing in the row? What population do you shoot for? I'm thinking 26" rows 'cause that's how I'm set up for for corn.

Larry
 
Here in dryland (not irrigated) central Kansas most folks shoot for around 5 lbs/acre, nearly always in 30" rows. This will put the plants about two or three inches apart. Most milo has around 15,000 seeds per pound so the population would be in the 75,000 range. A few guys drill it but not many. Any plate-style or air/vacuum planter will do a good job with the correct setup. I've used a Deere 71 with B27769 plates and Y5055 fillers but there are other combinations that would work too. The plates with cells that fit a single seed should be used with a star knocker so the seeds don't get stuck. The plates that fit several seeds per cell (like the one I use) are used with the regular round wheel knocker. Most milo plates require the use of the proper filler ring since they are usually thinner than corn plates.
 
fergienewbee, Both! "Is and Has and Can be done that way. With a Planter single and double row.
a drill can be done Solid stand or block off the not needed drill cups and plant double or triple row. when planting on Lister Ridges.....the position is more like 10:00 & 12:00 & 2:00 o'clock
positions for triple row, Omit 12:00 for double row!
You will need to calculate and adjust off of a "solid stand setting" to compensate for the seed cups that are Blocked off. or work off a single row planter setting to get there.........
Example->,
If your Grain Drill will straddle 4, 40 in rows,
5 rows, 40 in spacing, 1/2 mile long is 1 acre!
Figure seed count single row setting!, convert to lbs/acre ./. by # of seed cups open ie 8 or 12 should = a #, adjust drill setting close to that #.
Double check me I may very well be wrong here but it will be something on this order Here it has been close to 30 yrs since I calculated one.
Hope this helps.
Later,
John A.
 
I drilled mine in this year because I had a "new" 750 no till drill I wanted to try out. I sure wish I had used the 1760 and planted it. I think the plants do so much better when they are spaced out a little. We got a toad strangler after I had drilled it so the south end is a wash.

I'd do a planter but it isn't critical. I think planted beans do better in comparison to drilled beans. Milo doesn't seem to have as great a variation. It is pretty picky about soil contract, though.
 

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